Monday, November 10, 2008

November Urban Fantasy Releases

I read a lot of different genres, but urban fantasy is probably my favorite. Urban Fantasy is contemporary for the most part where the supernatural mixes with the mundane. Think Charles de Lint, Simon R Green, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, etc. So, if you are a fan like I am here is some of the stuff coming out this month.

NOVEMBER 4thThe MemoristBy MJ Rose“As a child, Meer Logan was haunted by memories of another time and place, always accompanied by the faint strains of elusive music. Now the past has reached out again in the form of a strange letter that sets her on a journey to Vienna to unlock the mystery of who she once was. A a gripping and unforgettable novel about a woman paralyzed by the past, a man robbed of his future, and a centuries old secret… This is a loose sequel to The Reincarnationist.”

Night WorkBy Thomas Glavinic“An ordinary man wakes up on an ordinary day to find that he's the only living creature in the entire city. The radio and TV are suddenly filled with white noise, there's no newspaper, the Internet is down and no one's answering the phone. What happened? How? Why? And why is he still here?”

Escape From Hell By Hal Duncan “A hitman, a hooker, a homosexual kid, and a hobo suicide make the ultimate prison break . . . escape from Hell itself! But when news of their attempted escape gets out, the souls of the damned are transformed into a rioting mob, and all Hell truly does break loose. It's Escape from New York meets Jacob's Ladder.”

The Reawakened (Book Three in the Aspect of Crow trilogy)By Jeri Smith-Ready“In a world besieged by escalating conflict, fate has marked Rhia—bound to the Spirit of Crow—to deliver the Reawakened from oppression. Now, with a mighty army of Descendants threatening to crush what's left of her people's magic, she must trust an ancient prophecy and accept the deadly power of her birthright. For while the storm of revolution rages, the legacy of the Reawakened is about to be rewritten . . . in her family's blood…”

Swallowing Darkness (Merry Gentry series Book 7)By Laurell K Hamilton“I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child–twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children. Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court–and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen. But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me. I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price–for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything–even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.”

Magic to the BoneBy Devon Monk“Using magic means it uses you back, and every spell exacts a price from its user. But some people get out of it by Offloading the cost of magic onto an innocent. Then it’s Allison Beckstrom’s job to identify the spell-caster. Allie would rather live a hand-to-mouth existence than accept the family fortune—and the strings that come with it. But when she finds a boy dying from a magical Offload that has her father’s signature all over it, Allie is thrown back into his world of black magic. And the forces she calls on in her quest for the truth will make her capable of things that some will do anything to control…”

Better Off UndeadBy Martin Greenberg“From vampires to mummy con artists, this collection explores the many forms the undead can take in stories that range from the chilling to the hysterical. There are those who people the Afterlife, others who wander the lands of the living in ghostly form, and even those who walk about in the flesh. Featuring 18 original stories, Better Off Undead will provide a range of intriguing answers from those who are undead…”

The Last Watch (Night Watch Book 4)By Sergei Lukyanenko“Part fantasy, and part detective potboiler, the Night Watch (Day Watch, Twilight Watch) series is the most successful science fiction series of all time in Russia, and a true international sensation. Now, in the breathtaking final novel in the series, Anton is sent on a mission that takes him from Edinburgh to Uzbekistan to Moscow and back again, as a murder investigation spirals into a larger, more complex, and more terrifying threat than the world has ever faced…”

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NOVEMBER 13thThirteen OrphansBy Jane Lindskold“As far as college freshman Brenda Morris knows, there is only one Earth and magic exists only in fairy tales. Brenda is wrong. A father-daughter weekend turns into a nightmare when Brenda’s father is magically attacked before her eyes. Brenda soon learns that her ancestors once lived in world of smoke and shadows, of magic and secrets. When that world’s Emperor was overthrown, the Thirteen Orphans fled to our earth and hid their magic system in the game of mah-jong. Each Orphan represents an animal from the Chinese Zodiac. Brenda’s father is the Rat. And her polished, former child-star aunt, Pearl—that eminent lady is the Tiger. Only a handful of Orphans remain to stand against their enemies. The Tiger, the Rooster, the Dog, the Rabbit . . . and Brenda Morris. Not quite the Rat, but not quite human either.”

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NOVEMBER 18thThe Rose LabyrinthBy Titania Hardie“Before his death in 1609, brilliant spy, astrologer & mathematician, John Dee, hid many of his papers, believing that the world was not ready for the ideas they held. For 17 generations, his female descendants have protected his most precious secrets, waiting for the right moment to reveal them. In 2003, Diana was forced to pass the enigmatic legacy to her son Will, leading him into a world of extraordinary riddles and dangerous secrets…”

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NOVEMBER 25thThe ReachBy Nate Kenyon“Young Sarah is no ordinary girl. She’s been diagnosed as schizophrenic and locked away in a children’s psychiatric ward. She also has a very strange—and powerful—gift. Scientists have been studying Sarah’s remarkable psychic power for years, enhancing it, manipulating it, and twisting it into something evil. But their plans have gone horribly wrong. How much longer can they control Sarah? And what will happen if her powers are unleashed?”

The Devil’s Due (Morgan Kingsley Book 3)By Jenna Black”Possession was never this much fun. Trust me or die…That’s the choice Morgan Kingsley, exorcist, is given by the gorgeous rogue demon who’s gotten inside her. The truth is, Morgan has dozens of reasons not to trust anyone, from the violence that torched her house and killed her father to a love life that’s left her questioning her relationship with her erstwhile boyfriend, Brian. But Lugh, a king among demons, won’t take no for an answer. He’s prying into her body, her mind, even her sex life. And he’s just pulled Morgan into a power struggle that could have devastating consequences for both the human and demon worlds. But Morgan still has a job to do: investigating the highly bizarre possession of the son of a wealthy Philadelphia couple. That hunt leads Morgan into a realm of sexual depravity, then a terrifying kidnapping.… Now a woman who makes her living prying demons from their hosts finds her day job colliding with the night: a darkness that is attracting demons of the damnedest sort, including the one who’s about to demand his ultimate due.”

New TricksBy John Levitt“Former enforcer Mason would normally be concerned with finding ghosts and vampires stalking the Castro section of San Francisco. Fortunately, Halloween provides the perfect explanation for the abundance of ghouls. But someone is trying to possess his old flame, Sarah. Now, with the help of his magical dog Louie, Mason must uncover the black magician responsible.”

On The Prowl (Tales of an Urban Werewolf Book 2)By Karen MacInerney”Talk about a bad-hair day! Sophie Garou is a master at taming her inner beast, which comes in handy since she’s a werewolf. With a big promotion at work and a supersexy boyfriend, Heath (whom she recently spotted leaving a jewelry store with a beguiling ring box), she’s one happy girl. But when Heath starts spending long nights at the office with his new associate–a dead-ringer for Career Day Barbie–Sophie smells trouble. And when her professional relationship with her big new client–who also happens to be Texas’s brilliantly blue-eyed most eligible bachelor–begins to sizzle, she wonders if her animal instincts are leading her in the wrong direction. Just when it seems that things can’t get any more complicated, they do. The Houston werewolf pack has sniffed Sophie out, and their message is chillingly clear: you’re either with us or against us. And unless she can prove that she’s with them, the next full moon may just be her last.”

J, I agree that Night Work and Escape from Hell sound interesting. As far as Laurell K's Fey series I have mixed feelings. Like her Anita series I keep hoping that it will return to great storytelling and be less smut filled (not that I am not a smut fan, but when it is every other chapter it gets a bit monotonous. If I wanted to read erotica I would). That being said, at least there was a purpose to it all in the Merry Gentry series. First one to get pregnant gets to keep their life and rule the Unseelie Court. Each volume is a bit hit or miss, some better than others. I think one reason I like the Sidhe series is because of the mythology she creates for the Fey and I am a big fan of the Fey as much as I am zombies and vampires. :)

When you do read, what genre do you tend to read the most? If you like the lists I will keep them coming. I do them for a couple of my shelfari groups and figured why not here. I know I have some lurkers. :)